GwendolynBoyettButton

Button, Gwendolyn BoyettApr. 27, 1922 - Mar. 17, 2013Gwendolyn Boyett Button, 90, of Sarasota, FL, died on Mar. 17, 2013. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Fri., Mar. 22, 2013 at Palms-Robarts Funeral Home in Sarasota, FL. Services will be held at 11:30 am on Sat., at Sarasota First Baptist Church Chapel in Sarasota, FL.Gwen passed away peacefully at her home and is now with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She is survived by her beloved son, Jack V. Button (Jackie) of Sarasota; sisters, Aileen Maugans of St Pete, FL and Cora Evans of Winter Park, FL; 3 grandchildren which she played a big part in raising, Crystal, Jessica and Jonathan Williams of Sarasota from her predeceased daughter, Genevieve "Genny" Mynatt; and several nieces and nephews.Gwen was born in Terra Ceia, FL on Tampa Bay. She grew up on a farm and graduated from Palmetto High School in Palmetto, FL in 1940. She then earned a 4-year B.S. degree in Home Economics at the Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) in Tallahassee in 1944. She was very involved in activities at the Baptist Student Union (B.S.U.) House there on campus. After graduation, she taught Home Economics in 1945 at Frostproof High School in Frostproof, FL to earn some money to attend graduate school. She then attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Women's Mission Union (W.M.U.) Training School (the Carver School of Missions) in Louisville, KY working on her Masters degree in Religious Education. She did her intern work at the First Baptist Church in Cookeville, TN in 1949 as a student worker for college students and served as Educational Director and Church Secretary; then worked at the First Baptist Church in Columbus, MS in 1950-51 as the B.S.U. Secretary for Baptist students attending Mississippi State College for Women in order to complete her Masters degree in Louisville. Gwen returned to the Sarasota-Palmetto area in 1952 and worked at the First Baptist Church in Sarasota as the Educational Secretary. She married Jack J. Button in 1954 and was married for 29 years. When the First Baptist Church decided to start a new mission in south Sarasota, she was the staff member chosen to organize the Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Junior Choir among other things, so she was a founding member of the Southside Baptist Church which her family attended for many years. Her life's journey included teaching sewing classes at the Sarasota Vocational School, learning sign language to talk to the deaf, serving as a counselor at a Billy Graham Crusade, and learning the art of quilting. Gwen relied on the Lord for whatever obstacles she faced and greatly believed in the power of prayer and she supported missionaries and their work. She will be remembered for her steadfast faith, love, kindness, generosity and ever-glowing smile. You may contact her son, Jack, at 941-724-4260 for more information.Condolences may be offered at www.palmsrobartsfuneralhome.com.